Bhubaneswar, July 20 (IANS). The opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Monday demanded a judicial inquiry into the death of devotees during the Rath Yatra in Puri on July 16. Along with this, BJD held the BJP led government of Odisha completely responsible for this tragic incident.
Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters in Bhubaneswar, BJD state vice president and former minister Sanjay Kumar Das Barma and party media coordinator and spokesperson Dr Lenin Mohanty alleged that the state government failed to manage the world famous Rath Yatra properly.
Expressing grief over the death of those paying tribute, Das Burma said the incident has hurt the sentiments of crores of devotees of Lord Jagannath across the world.
He alleged that the state government is trying to suppress facts related to the incident. Quoting the Health Minister’s statement, Das Burma said the minister had claimed that the pilgrims had not died in the stampede and that one person had died of a heart attack while the other had died of suffocation.
He alleged that the government has not disclosed the actual incident that took place during the Rath Yatra or the exact number of dead or injured.
Das Burma also claimed that four seriously injured persons were admitted to Puri hospital after the incident, three of whom later died. He further alleged that the Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) had said that more than 350 people were injured, while the state government later said only two people had died and maintained silence about the alleged third death.
The BJD leader said the BJP government had held several meetings before the Rath Yatra, claiming smooth conduct of the festival, but failed to prevent the tragedy. He alleged that the government was trying to hide its administrative failure instead of accepting responsibility.
BJD demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident and asked the state government to make the inquiry report public. The party also demanded the resignation of Health Minister Dr. Mukesh Mahaling and Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan from the State Council of Ministers.
–IANS
ms/
